New rider: Ninja 250R vs 400R
 

Hi guys,

I'm new all round, new to bikes and to the forum. I'm just about to get my license and I'm looking into good starter bikes. General consensus says the Ninja 250 is the best beginner bike. But now that the ninja 400R is out, I'm wondering if that may be better for me. I'm 6ft and 200lbs.

Also, I have the option of getting a the 2009 ZX6 for a bargain, but i'm not sure if i should be starting with that much power.

Advice??

Thanks!

Here in Aus the 400 was an import and didn't receive factory support neither did the ZX2R. Something to check out. With the 250 if you limit yourself to 7k rpm then it will last also is been around basically in the same engine form since '86. If allowed by your licensing authority a 600 would be more pleasurable on the road providing you ride with you brain and not with over enthusiasm.

gammac

yeah the 400 aint comin to the states either.

636 for a bargain. More aftermarket support, and learn from your safety course. Also test ride them all! I am 6ft 1in and 170lbs , and the 636 fit me awesome. I have been a honda guy for 11 years and when I rode the cbr 600 rr it felt too small and cramped and when I got on the 636 ( which I told myself I would never go kawasaki) I fell in love and it fits me perfectly it was a great fit meant for my size most likely yours as well! but try out the other bikes as well and if they fit then great if not go with what fits you best it makes you feel most comfortable?

good luck on what ever you decide, just gear up and ride smart.

Up to a point, the smaller the bike that you start on, the better a rider you'll eventually become. For the States a 250, or even a 2-stroke 125 if you can find a legal one, with about 25 - 30 bhp is ideal. That's good for about 90 - 100 mph.

The 400 is a sleeved down 650r and underpowered for the weight of the bike. The 250 will be much more fun as you learn to ride it. Better to buy the 650 and fit the EU restriction kit, which you can remove after a couple of years, than to buy the 400, but neither is a good choice of first bike.

Ignore anybody telling you to start on a 636 or anything similar. You can start on these bikes and survive with a lot of care, but exercising that care will leave real gaps in your skills. The 250 makes you work harder and makes you learn things that you don't need to learn on a faster bike (like advance planning of maneuvers in traffic), but once learned these skills transfer to a fast bike in a way that makes you a faster rider in the real world than the people who've not bothered to learn them.

It's not the best bike in the world for highways, but it does the job and you don't learn much on highways anyway - or enjoy the ride much either.

Rob

Welcome to KF

What did you decide on?